Semesterisation - What's the verdict?

lou91

So, now that we've gone through the first twelve week term, what did you think? Does it work? Too long...?

It seems weird that there's just one more term, then a two week gap, then exams. April is waaaaaaaaaaaay too early to be starting summer exams. Doesn't leave much time for cramming either.

I'm in JF so don't have anything to compare to, just wondering if people are still as vehemently anti-semesterisation as they were before it was brought in.

TheAmateur

It'd be good if we had exams on the first term's stuff before or after Christmas. I thought the random break in between Hilary and Trinity term was of little use (no one else was off) so I'm kinda glad that's gone. Does it bother anyone else that you cover less material than the year before you? (that is, if you do)

Jammyc

TheAmateur wrote: »

Does it bother anyone else that you cover less material than the year before you? (that is, if you do)

Nono, I'm drowning as it is!

Mark200

I think it's alright, but it'd be much better if we had Christmas exams rather than having all of them at the end of the year.

Podge_irl

It's pointless.

andrew

I don't like it. I preferred last year's exam structure at least.

GlasnevinRed

Science were semesterised last year so I know no different. Having all my exams at the end of the year was quite annoying and I'm expecting the same again.

devinejay

Finding it pretty horrible tbh, very hard to motivate myself to do anything without some sort of external pressure, so needless to say I've done nothing so far. Semesterisation seems totally pointless to me without Christmas exams.

electrogrimey

Yep. The whole point of semesterisation is to completely finish a course at Christmas, not to half do it, and then spend the rest of the year revising it. If they brought in Christmas exams, I'd definitely be in favour of it.

Fedule

Utter fail.

I do philosophy - not the most lecture intensive subject under the sun - where we have no need for stretching the course any thinner than it is. 9/10 students had a day a week off last year, even without semesters. As it is, terms drag on for too long and holidays no longer allow me to go visit friends (I'm English - shock!).

EGaffney

"It is too soon to tell" - Zhou Enlai, on the French Revolution

just-joe

I found the first term really long. As we didn't get examined at the end of the first term, its kinda the same (which makes it pointless) except we have less time to cram for exams. Serious rush on now to get ready for finals. It also messes with sporting events in the second half of the year as everything is so squashed together now.

Sir Ophiuchus

Too soon to tell, but I did feel a bit crushed with the amount of essays due at the end of the semester. Can't necessarily blame semesterisation for that though.

lou91

TheAmateur wrote: »

Does it bother anyone else that you cover less material than the year before you? (that is, if you do)

Apparently one of my lecturers this semester isn't going to bother changing his 9 week course so I'll have 3 weeks less of that.
Meh, there'll be enough other stuff to do.

Aoibheann

I'm pretty ok with it tbh. I don't find the 12 week terms too long, but then I was previously in a college with full semesterisation in place so I was used to it. I'm also currently fine with the exam situation, but that's mainly because we only have 5 exams in my course IIRC, which I think is more than reasonable (and I hated doing January exams, the only way I'd be happy with end of semester exams would be if they happened in December, and that would mean bringing the start of the college year at Trinity early in September). However, I understand that other courses seem to have a lot more exams than I do, so I can see why people would rather have exams at the end of each semester. I have to say though, that option really isn't all it's cracked up to be either!

evercloserunion

I can't really compare either; in Law there was always a change in structure going from SF to JS year AFAIK so I don't know what changes can be attributed to semesterisation. All I know is that I have a MUCH heavier workload than last year, but as this is my first degree year that is to be expected.

However, we do seem to be covering less material then in previous years, and that annoys me. I know this because my lecturers initially provided us with lists of topics to be covered which were based on experience in previous years but we did not finish the lists, sometimes leaving out important areas. I don't see how semesterisation can improve TCD's standing internationally if it means students are learning less material and ultimately gaining a less thorough understanding of each subject.

What also annoys me is the idea of doing exams at the end of the year in subjects that we stopped being lectured on halfway through the year.

fh041205

It seems thats most of the college would have preferred exams in December as well. Why wasn't this done in the first place?

Also would a poll on the issue be intersting to anyone? A simple would you prefer to have exams in Dec and May instead of just May.